In the past, programmable microdevices were programmed in a large, standalone programming system, which had a programmer handling system. The programmer handling system would pick up unprogrammed microdevices, place them in the programmers for programming, and remove them for placement on a carrier. The programmer handling systems would also place rejected microdevices, which did not meet specifications or which could not be programmed, into large reject bins appropriate to large programming systems. The programmed microdevices, which were not rejected, would be placed on the carrier and placed in an input feeder, which would be attached to an assembly line. The assembly line had its own assembly line handling system which would pick up the programmed microdevices and place them on printed circuit boards.
With the advent of the programmer/feeder where programming and feeding are performed in a single device, space is at a premium. Since a programmer/feeder must be placed on the assembly line in a space which was formerly only occupied by a feeder, it has become extremely difficult to find space for a reject handling system.
The old concept of the standalone programming system or the newer concept of using the assembly line handling system for placing rejected parts into a separate reject bin has been found to be extremely time-consuming and inefficient, because of the long movements required, however, heretofore there has been no other solution.
Ideally, a microdevice reject handling system would take up as little space as possible, require short reject movements, and allow easy removal of rejected parts. This ideal has been extremely difficult to achieve and has eluded those skilled in the art.